Ice
by Trindajae
Summary: During "Ice" (Episode 1x07) -- SPOILERS -- Two minutes from Scully's POV


Title: Ice  
  
Author: Trindajae  
  
Date: 30 Nov 2003  
  
Spoilers: Post-ep for Ice (Episode 1x07)  
  
Summary: Two minutes of time from Scully's POV  
  
The door clanged shut behind me with a terrifying finality. I stood facing the man I had been willing to trust with my life such a very short time ago. So much had changed since then. Fear had run rampant and paranoia became the standard operating procedure.  
  
And yet so much had remained the same.  
  
I turned on the light because he could see in the dark better than I could. Sitting in a windowless, airless room with the light off will do that for you. Having just come from the rest of the dimly lit research facility, my night vision was already shot.  
  
Mulder squinted at the light until his eyes adjusted, then he looked at me with suspicion. I suppose I would have felt the same if he had locked me in a storage closet after holding me at gunpoint, but it still stung. Behind the suspicion, I could see that he hurt, too. He was hurt that I didn't trust him, that I stood in our little parody of a western show-down with such obvious fear of him. His voice was rough with anger as he explained his earlier unreasonable actions. I was confused and angry by his stubborn streak (Why couldn't the stupid man just cooperate for once in his LIFE and save us all a whole lot of trouble?), but a part of me was hopeful.  
  
The longer he talked, the less and less he seemed to be infected. The only way to be sure, of course, was to check him. He agreed to let me examine him after much less arguing than I had expected. I could see almost as soon as he pulled his shirt away from his shoulders that he didn't have the parasite, but I took the time to be thorough about it. His shoulders were warm under my chilled fingers and it felt good just to make physical contact with him. The sense of his uninfected skin against my hands did more to soothe my spirit and calm my fear than any words ever could have.  
  
It was with great releif and not a small amount of guilt that I turned away from him toward the door. Now all we had to do was figure out which of the other two people was infected, cure them, and wait for this godforsaken storm to pass so we could get the hell out of here.  
  
I so desperately wanted to be warm again. As my hand reached for the door, I felt him grab me from behind. He wasn't overly rough about it, but he wasn't gentle, either. I gasped and a part of me started to panic. I must have missed something, I thought. He's infected and now he's going to try to kill me.  
  
For a fraction of a second, my thoughts spiraled out of control.  
  
I missed it he's the one he's the killer now he'll try to kill me too this is bad bad bad can I hold him off long enough for help to arrive yes but not before I take some damage-  
  
Wait.  
  
This is Mulder. Mulder. My uninfected Mulder.  
  
I'm safe.  
  
Hard on the heels of those thoughts was the realization that his hands lacked the force of a serious attack. He obviously meant me to hold still and was willing to cause pain to force me to comply, but he wasn't attacking me. He was examining me. His large warm hand thawed the chill out of my skin when he settled it on my neck, just below the base of my skull. His other hand made quick work of confirming my lack of infection as I held still and bowed my head to give him a better view. My heart thudded painfully from my earlier fright. I tried to slow my breathing as I submitted to his hands.  
  
I missed the warmth when he let go, but I didn't miss the fear in his eyes. We were both sure of each other again, unified in purpose and willing to back each against one or both of the other two. While I had thought he was infected, I was required to side with the two scientists for the same reason a farmer will distrust his most loyal hunting dog if there's a chance the dog has rabies. Now I could once again place my loyalties where they most naturally wanted to go.  
  
We turned toward the door and I rejoiced in the lack of fear I felt at having him so close behind me. The world was once again as it should be. 


End file.
